KOCHI: A final decision on whether to build a light, neo, or conventional metro in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities will be taken after the Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC) in Delhi submits its report to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) next month.
Loknath Behera, managing director of KMRL, said the UMTC is conducting a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) and alternate traffic analysis (ATS) study in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities. “The fieldwork is expected to be completed by February-end, and we expect that they will submit a report based on their feasibility study to KMRL by March 31. The decision on constructing a light, neo, or conventional metro will be made based on the report,” Behera told TNIE.
He also added that the process would take time as it needs approval from the central government.
“Following the study, a detailed project report (DPR) would be prepared for both cities. The DPR will be sent to the state government for approval and later to the central government, which is the sanctioning authority for metro rail,” Behera said. He further added that the civil work in Thiruvananthapuram will not begin this year.
“In Thiruvananthapuram, there is a proposal to build an underground metro in certain areas, unlike the one we have in Kochi. Moreover, the procedure for approval will take time, and it is difficult to begin the civil work this year,” he said. Speaking about the losses KMRL has been facing, Behera said that it plans to bring its operational losses to zero in the near future.
“For the financial year 2022–23, we have a target to achieve a revenue of Rs 69.52 crores from fare boxes (metro ridership), and till January 31, 2023, we have achieved Rs 62.58 crores (which is 90% of the target achieved). We are expecting that by March, we will exceed our target, as the average daily ridership has gone up to 80,000 from 13,000 earlier,” Behera said.
Meanwhile, generating revenue from the non-fare box has been a task for KMRL. “We have a target to achieve Rs 47.53 crores, and we have reached Rs 36.74 crores till January 31 (which is 77.30% of the target achieved),” he said. “We have plans to increase our non-fare box revenue by organising various events and renting the space for shows as we did for the Paltu Janwar, a dog show, earlier this month,” he added.
Will take time
The process would take time as the project needs approval from the Union government
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be prepared for both cities, following the study carried out by Urban Mass Transit Company Limited